NCW has not visited Manipur; is Udupi case of that magnitude, asks Home Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday appeared to question the need for a visit of the National Commission for Women member Khushbu Sundar to Udupi to inquire into alleged "washroom filming case" at a paramedical college at a time when the NCW has "not gone" to Manipur, where two women were molested and paraded naked recently.
"Is this incident in Udupi of that magnitude," he asked while talking to reporters here.
"Let them come, I don't say -- who has to come, who has to see -- all that. Manipur incident...I don't know what to call it, and there the commission has not gone. Is this incident in Udupi of that magnitude?" Parameshwara said in response to a question regarding the NCW's visit.
"I don't say -- you don't come. Why should you come -- I don't say that. I'm not the person to say that. Let them come, but you should also say what you found. Was there any video of this incident or anything?"
NCW member Sundar arrived in Udupi on Wednesday evening to enquire into the alleged filming of a girl on a mobile phone by other female students in the washroom of a paramedical college in the city.
The Manipur incident to which Parameshwara was referring to is regarding the video showing two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 in Kangpokpi district that surfaced on July 19 and was condemned countrywide.
Responding to a question on the delay in filing FIR in connection with the Udupi college case, the minister said, "Police were waiting for someone to give the complaint. Naturally they did not want to take it to that level. Now suo motu they had to do it, because there was so much attraction this (issue) had created."
Parameshwara had on Wednesday dubbed the filming of a girl student in the restroom by fellow female students in a Udupi college as "a small incident blown out of proportion".
Clarifying his "a small issue" remark, he said the intention was not to neglect the case, but what he meant was that the issue should have been left to the college principal to handle, who after analysing the details would have escalated to the parents and police, rather than outsiders giving different twists to the issue.
"I and you have studied in colleges and stayed in hostels, and there would have been certain incidents between friends and it would have been left there itself and not escalated. I had said this too might be of a similar nature," he said. The issue should have been left to the college principal, who has already suspended the students.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
